Separating equipment



Nov. 27, 1956 K. R. WENDT 2,771,993

SEPARATING EQUIPMENT Original Filed Oct. 19, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 79:513. azdt Nov. 27, 1956 K. R. WENDT 2,771,993

SEPARATING EQUIPMENT Original Filed Oct. 19, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (It'll [14241 United States Patent M SEPARATING EQUIPMENT Karl R. Wendt, Eggertsville, N. Y.

Original application October 19, 1948, Serial No. 55,319. Divided and this application August 28, 1952, Serial No. 306,843

Claims. (Cl. 209-172) This invention relates to methods and means for material separation, and more particularly to separation of materials in accordance with their specific gravities. This application is a division of my Patent 2,620,069, dated December 2, 1952 and entitled Method of and Apparatus for Separating Materials of Difierent Specific Gravity.

This invention depends for its operation on the fundamental law that a body or material immersed in a liquid will float if its specific gravity is less than that of the liquid, and will sink if its specific gravity is greater than the liquid.

It is quite well known and established that the materials may be separated in accordance with their respective specific gravities by immersing them in a liquid, such as water, having a predetermined specific gravity. It is possible by this well known arrangement to separate materials above and below the specific gravity of the liquid. Many very suitable and convenient arrangements have been proposed for accomplishing this result.

According to this invention, a method and arrangement is provided wherein fundamentally the specific gravity of the liquid is changed while the material to be separated is immersed therein, thus providing for a separation procedure which permits separating that portion of the mixture of materials which has a predetermined specific gravity.

Although it is not intended that the practice of this invention should be limited thereto, as will become evident after the reading of the specification and an inspection of the accompanying drawing, an arrangement will be shown and described for the separation of potatoes from other foreign material normally gathered during harvest.

The separation of potatoes from a mixture of potatoes, grass tops, stones, etc., is selected by way of example in view of the fact that the specific gravity of a potato is only slightly greater than that of Water.

Heretofore the operation of separating potatoes from foreign material has been performed by migrant manual labor and presents an economic and social problem. For instance, when a large crew is hired for digging potatoes, the farmer is necessarily forced to use the crew at the available time regardless of the existing market price, and harvest cannot then be regulated easily to suit market or weather conditions.

Furthermore, under the present system the potatoes must lie in the sun for some considerable time and may be sun scalded, which will make itself shown by a spoiled carload upon arrival of the potatoes at their destination.

By the practice of applicants invention in one of its forms, a much smaller crew may perform the harvest and any possibility of sun scald may be prevented. The potatoes are dug in the usual manner and elevated into asimple dump truck following the digger. They may then be trucked to the barn and maybe introduced into the separating equipment or stored as required.

2,771,993 Patented Nov. 27, 1955 A primary object of this invention is to provide an improved material separator.

Another object of this invention is to provide for the separation into three components of materials having difierent specific gravities.

Still another object of this invention is to provide for improved and more efiicient separation of potatoes from foreign material.

Other and incidental objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following specifications and an inspection of the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically one form of this invention;

Figure 2 illustrates another view of the form of the invention shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 illustrates another form of this invention; and

Figure 4 illustrates still another form of this invention.

Turning now in more detail to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown one form of this invention which involves a liquid container 1 having two sections 3 and 5 separated by a vertical member 7 extending from the top of the container 1 to a point near a conveyor 9.

The operation of the device may thus be understood by following through the different steps of operation.

For example, let there be inserted in hopper 11 of container 1 a mixture of materials having different specific gravities. A conveyor 13 moving in the direction shown by the arrow is positioned at the surface of the liquid 15 in section 5 of the container. Conveyor 13 consists essentially of a strap-like member 17 with associated paddle-like members 19. The strap-like members 17 and paddles 19 are so arranged that a material which has a greater specific gravity than that of the liquid in section 5 of the container will sink, to the conveyor 9, while that portion of the material having -a specific gravity less than the liquid in section 5 floats and is taken off through opening 21 in the container 1.

The material which sinks to conveyor 9 in'section 1 is carried into section 3 of container 1 wherein'the specific gravity of the liquid is increased by agitation. The increase in specific gravity in this form of the invention is performed by a liquid pump 23 which is more clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawing, wherein like'numerals refer to like elements.

The exit from pump 23 is discharged downward'at an angle through orifices 25 of pipe 27. This pressure or disturbance of the liquid causes an increase in specific gravity of the liquid in section 3 by mixing small particles of the material in the water. These small particles may, for example, be mud, sand, etc.

The intake 29 of pump 23 is in the upper part of section 3. Under the influence of the increased specific gravity of the liquid in section 3 of the container 1, the material having a slightly greater specific gravity than the original liquid will rise upward to the surface of the It will be understood'that the levels of the liquids in each section 5 and 3 will be different because of their difierent specific gravities. different levels 15 and 31 of the liquids.

It will also be understood that a certain amount ofthe liquids will be lost throughout operation through the' openings 21 and 37 in the container 1. This loss will This is illustrated by the the surface of the liquid separates the tops and roots,

which haveya specific gravity less than that of water, 8.0 that they are removed, conveyor 11 'at' the top The' potatoes and other heavy material fallflthrpugh, the, conveyor 17 and" sink to'the. bottom. The fresh water added through liquid supply 39.ma-intains the specific gravity such that the potatoes will'sink. Conveyor 9then. moves the potatoes, mud, sand, and stones through to the bottom of section 3 of the, container. The dirt. and sand are mixed, With the water bypump. 2 3" to prodiice a solution in section 3 which ha 'an increased specific'gravi-ty sufiicient, to allowthe potatoes to rise to the surface; Thezpotatoes are then scraped oil the surface 31 of the solution bya conveyor 33, which will then. deliver'them to washing and sorting'equipment' which is well known in the art; Still another conveyor 35' arranged as a sort of bucket lift receives the stones andother heavy' material from'the endof the belt conveyor, and raises them out ofithe liquid and delivers them through opening 37 of the tank;

-Turning now in detail to Figure 3, there is shown another form of this invention wherein those elements which'are similar to the elements of the form of' the inventionofFigure 1 take like numerals.

Like the arrangement shown in Figure 1, a containen 1 has two' sections 3 and There is also a conveyor 13; a conveyor 9, a conveyor 35 and a conveyor 33.

In place of the pump 23 of the form of theinvention shown: in Figures 1 and 2, this form of the invention shown in Figure 3' has an air pump 41 for changingthe: specific gravityof the liquid by forcing air bubbles through the. liquid in section 5' of the container 1'. This is accomplished in perforated box-like member 43, which has: a; series. of small holes. 45to bubble air through the:

liquid in section 5.' In this form of the invention, the specific: gravity of the liquid in. section 3, is normal, while. the. specific. gravity of: the liquid in section 5 of thecontainer 1 is slightly-less-thannormal.

In this form of the invention, itwil-lbe seen that conveyor.- 33 will remove from the solution that part of the material having a. specific gravity which is only: slightly less-tham'that oi the liquid in. itsnormal state.

Thus, for example, in the form of the invention shown in Figure 3 a material having a specific gravity slightlyless than the liquid such as Water: may; be; separated from a mixture of materials; h ving specific gravities greater than thatot he-liq id. an a grea de l. less han the iquidi- There' is shown in Figure4 still anotherfiorrn ofthis. invention. which inv lves o h. he liqu d p mp 2: and; the. air pump 41. The form f. he inv n ion. shown n. F gure 4 llHSrtrates an arrangement employing twomediumsfor changing the specific gravity of the liquid, while the air pump- 41, and. its associatedair chamber 43- may decrease the specific gravity of the liquid. The'increase and decrease ofi specific gravity will, of course, take place in the. sequential form of opera ion of: this invention sequentiallywith the use of normal. specific gravity of the liquid.

In: the, form of. the. inven ion sho n. in. Fig r 4 s ngl separation. may also he had, bvemp ying o lyone-f offartangement. for changing thev specific gravity, such as, f r x mpl h separa ion. hi h maybe accompl shed, by inserting the mixture of ma erials in a sol ti n having a no mal spe ifi gravity. r mo nghat parties. whi h fl ats, en increasing the. p ific gra ty wi h 11., for. the. QQLaiLQIL liquid pump 23, and then separately removing the por tion which floats in the increased specific gravity.

The form of the invention shown in Figure 4 may also be employed in the following manner. A mixture of materials may be inserted in the hopper 11 under conditions of decreased specific gravity caused by operation of air pump 41. The air pump 41 may then be shut oif, allowing a. return tonormal of, the. specific gravity of the solution. The portion of the material which floats in the normal specific gravity.- may-thenbe separately removed.

Having thusadescribed the invention, what isclaimed is:

l. A method for the separation of materials; in accordance with specific gravity from a mixture of materials having difierent specific gravities comprising the steps of inserting said mixture of materials into a liquid, decreasing the specific gravity of the liquid by maintainquan t bubb e r ughput aid. i uidl o a e -l ke mix ur f r. and sa d qu....,.ssp at removing hatp e of he, m t r al. h c fle ts liquid. before and after decreasing the specific grayrty of.

the liquid; and separately removing that portion. of the material which sinks in the liquid. at its greatest specific gravity.

2. A method of sorting. out materials in accordance with their specific gravity comprising the stepsof chang;

ing the specific gravity of a liquid. from its normal specific gravity by injecting air bubbles into the liquid 'to, maintain amixture of air bubbles and liquid, inserting said mixture of materials into said liquid, removing that portion of the material which floats in the liquid at its changed specfic gravity, changing the specific gravity of said liquid; back to its normal specific gravity by stopping the injection of air bubbles into the liquid, removing that portion of the material which floats in the liquid at-itsnormalspecific gravity, and separately removing that portion of the material which sinks in the liquidat its greatest specific gravity,

3. A method of sorting out materials in accordance with their specific gravity from 'amixture of materials having-difierent specific gravities comprising the steps of changing the specific gravity of a liquid by blowing air into. the liquid to develop a mixture of air and water, inserting said mixture of materials into saidliquid, removing that portion of the material which floats in: the liquid at its changed specific gravity as a result of= the specific gravity ofthat portion of the material respect to. the specific gravity of the mixture of air and liquid, changing the specificgravitv of said: liquid back to its normal specific gravity, separately removing that pen tion of the material which sinks in the liquid at its greatest specific gravity and separately removing thatpor tion, ofthe materialwhich floats in the. liquid: at its greatest specificgravity. r

4. An arrangement for separating materials or: different specific gravities comprising .in combination a sec-.. tional zed: liqui ontainer havin'ga first and second: section, an air pump, means operatively. connected to. the bottom of said; first; section for adding .air bubbles to. the liquid fo d asing the specific gravity Of'the liquid. in; said first sect on, a first material conveyor positioned; in the bottom; of s-aidsectionalizedz liquid container for: tr sfe r n ma eti r m.- hefir t t he second-0t said sections, and an add ticnal' ma erial. conveyor positioned at the l quid. vele eehet-s id efions.

5,. A m terial separ tor eemp -s n combination a iquid o tainer, sa d: iquid QQB J ?h% .Bg.8-. firs ie-n and. a secon e .9 1. Besie d; si e by si e,v said. sec i ns e ng sep rated by t co ta ne see eea i i member ex nd ng. upwe. rom. auei t ear; the bat en. s enteiee t e ma 1. eev vo resitienee in the hett m. at sa d e ten ing ac oss.- he, bot. tern otboth sectignsof said. container and under said; ccat iher ee ienal z ee m b sa d ma rie n vee arranged to.- convey material from the finst sectionv the 5 6 second section of said container, an air chamber located 1,195,264 Pennington Aug. 22, 1916 at the bottom of said first section, an air pump operative- 2,293,340 Hirst Aug. 18, 1942 1y connected to said air chamber, a plurality of holes 2,426,398 Lathrop Aug. 26, 1947 connecting said air chamber with the bottom of the first FOREIGN PATENTS sect1on of sand container, 9. second material conveyor po- 5 sitioned in the top of the first section of said container at 411,985 Great Bl'ltaln June 21, 1934 liquid level and a third material conveyor positioned in OTHER REFERENCES t t t d 1geeltop of he secon section of said contamer at liqmd 011 and p p 1946 p g 126. py m Div. 63.)

10 References Cited in the file of this patent ilsat Final Report 869, dated July 22, 1946, pages 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS 771,874 Grant Oct. 11, 1904 

